Imformation on African Lion?

Question

Anybody with imformation on this animal please write ALL you know and list any sites where you obtained the imformation.

Answer 1

There is only one species of lion, Panthera leo, but there are several subspecies, all of which live in Africa with the exception of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), which is found only in the Gir Forest of India. White lions occasionally occur - these are not a different species or subspecies - they are simply ordinary lions with a genetic condition called leucism which results in reduced pigmentation (this is the same condition which causes the white tigers often seen in zoos). The mountain lion of the Americas is not a lion - this is simply one of the common names for the cat also known as the puma, cougar, catamount or catamountain (Puma concolor). It's related to the lion in that they are both members of the cat family, but it's in a different genus and is not a close relative. The cave lion of Europe (Panthera leo spelaea) and the American lion (Panthera leo atrox) are extinct lion subspecies that lived during the last Ice Age. They were the largest cats that ever lived, being around 25% larger than modern lions. They became extinct at the end of the Ice Age, probably because they could not adapt to the changing conditions and the extinction of the megafauna on which they preyed.

Lions are the second largest of all cat species - only the tiger is larger. They can measure up to 8 and half feet, excluding tail, and weigh up to 550lb (males are larger than females). They are the only truly social cats, living in groups called prides. These consist of a group of related females and between one and eight males (two to four is most common), who are often, but not always, related to each other (though not related to the females). The male is the only cat which possesses a mane - a thick ruff of fur around his neck and shoulders. This serves to protect his neck during fights, and to make him appear larger and more intimidating to rivals and more attractive to females. The mane starts to grow at about a year old, and will be fully grown by the time the lion is five years old. It will darken from the rear as the lion ages. A lion's coat is a uniform tawny colour, though cubs have faint spots as camouflage. These fade as they grow.

In the wild, lionesses usually live to around 15 years of age. Males do not live as long - usually between 8 and 10, though up to 12 is known. In captivity, lions can live to be 25 or older.

When young males reach sexual maturity at between two and three years old, they leave the pride they were born into in order to prevent inbreeding. They will wander for a couple of years, gaining strength and experience, before challenging established males for control of a pride. If a young male has no brothers, half-brothers or cousins of his own age, he will often join forces with another lone male, since two or more males have more chance of winning a pride. If the lionesses in a pride that gets taken over have cubs that are still suckling, the new males will kill them in order to bring the lionesses back into heat, so that they can mate with them. It takes around two years to raise cubs, and the new males can't wait that long for the females to finish raising the cubs of other males before fathering their own, since the average tenure of males in a pride is only between 2 and 3 years.

When a lioness is in heat, she will mate every fifteen minutes or so for at least three days. Sometimes one male will guard her and be the only one to mate with her, sometimes she will mate with all the males in the pride. Males usually do not fight over females, since maintaining their alliance is more important, especially if they are related (since any cubs born would carry their genes even if they weren't the ones to mate). When the male dismounts from the female, she often turns and snarls at him or slaps him with her paw. This is because the male's p***s is covered in backward-facing barbs which cause pain to the female as he withdraws. The lioness requires this stimulation before she can ovulate - this is called induced ovulation, and happens in all cat species.

After a gestation period of around 110 days, a lioness gives birth to between two and four cubs in a den away from the pride. She will not introduce them to the pride until they are around six weeks old. After this, cubs are raised communally, suckling from any lioness who is lactating.

Lionesses do the majority of hunting for the pride, working as a team to do so, though the males will join in occasionally, particularly when hunting large prey such as buffalo. Also, young males who have left their natal pride have no choice but to hunt for themselves. The main role of the males in the pride is to defend the territory and protect the cubs. They often eat before the lionesses, claiming 'the lion's share', but sometimes the whole pride simply converges on the carcass and they all feed together (with much squabbling and growling). Common prey of lions include buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, topi, impala, warthogs and other ungulates (hoofed mammals). They will also take smaller prey if nothing larger is available, and some large prides have even learned how to take down elephants - in Botswana a few years ago I saw a pride of 26 lions kill an adult female elephant.

Lions are territorial, marking their territory with urine and scent from the glands on their cheeks (they will rub their faces against trees and so on to deposit scent, just the same way a domestic cat will rub against furniture. They also rub against each other in this way, so that all members of the pride share a 'pride-scent'). They also roar to announce their ownership of their territory. Females do not help to defend the territory against invading males - that is the job of the pride males - but will defend it against females from other prides.

Lions are able to interbreed with tigers - when the father is a lion and the mother a tiger, the offspring is called a liger, if the father is a tiger and the mother a lion, it is called a tigon. Like most hybrids, both ligers and tigons are usually sterile, though occasionally a female will be fertile. Lions can also interbreed with other members of the genus Panthera - for example, a lion-leopard hybrid called a leopon. These hybrids occur only in captivity - they are not known to happen naturally in the wild.

Answer 2

http://www.lionresearch.org/current_docs...

http://www.lionresearch.org/behaviorguid...

http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/deta...

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GreatC...

http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/deta...

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/an...

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t...

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/si...

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/anim...

http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/detail...

http://www.africam.com/wildlife/lion

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_7615...

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topi...

http://www.lionconservation.org/conervin...

http://www.kenyalions.org/projects_home....

http://www.jaxzoo.org/animals/biofacts/A...

http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/li...

http://www.africaguide.com/wildlife/lion...

Answer 3

Why not read an encyclopedia instead of having others do your homework?  Books are quite harmless.

Answer 4

Lion (African and Asiatic)

Panthera leo

Renowned for its majesty and nicknamed the King of the Jungle, the lion possesses both beauty and strength. Lions vary in color but typically sport light yellowish-brown coats. Mature male lions are unique among big cats due the thick brown or black manes that encircle their necks and protect them while fighting.

Interesting Lion Facts

Top speed 50 mph, for short distances

Longest leap 36 feet

Distance over which roar can be heard 5 miles; both males and females roar.

Height 4 feet (males), females smaller

Length 5-8 feet (males), females smaller

Weight 330-500 lbs (males), females less

Lifespan 13 years, although they may live longer in captivity

Diet

Staples Wide variety; from wildebeest, impala, zebra, giraffe, buffalo and wild hogs to sometimes rhinos and hippos. They will also feed on smaller animals such as hares, birds and reptiles.  

Also known to attack Elephants when food is scarce

Population

The lion population in Africa has been reduced by half since the early 1950s. Today, fewer than 21,000 remain in all of Africa. The Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in India contains approximately 200 lions.

Range

Though lions used to live in most parts of Africa, they are now found only in the south Sahara desert and in parts of southern and eastern Africa. In addition, a small population of the Asiatic lion subspecies remains in the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in northwestern India. Historically in addition to Africa, lions were found from Greece through the Middle East to northern India.

Behavior

The only social member of the cat (Felidae) family, lions live in large groups called "prides," consisting of about 15 lions. Related females and their young make up the majority of the pride. A single male, or sometimes a small group of 2-3 males, will join a pride for an indefinite period, usually about 3 years or until another group of males takes over.

Lions within a pride are often affectionate and, when resting, seem to enjoy good fellowship with lots of touching, head rubbing, l*****g and purring.  The males are territorial, and will roar and use scent markings to establish their domains.

Females do almost all of the hunting. They are mainly nocturnal and work in teams to stalk and ambush prey.  Lions inhabit grassy plains, savannahs, open woodlands and scrub country. These landscapes allow the hunters to creep stealthily through vegetation and leap upon their unsuspecting prey.

Reproduction

Mating Season Throughout the year

Gestation Around 110 days

Litter size 3-4 cubs  

Cubs have long hair on the backs of their necks that make them look like honey badgers, which are ferocious animals that predators are wary of. Young cubs are vulnerable to predation by hyenas, leopards and black-backed jackals. The cubs begin hunting at 11 months but remain with their mother for at least two years.

Threats

Lions are threatened by human population growth and agricultural expansion, as well as hunting and poaching by livestock ranchers.

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_ha...